Hood catch



Jan. 30, 1934. G, MOORE 1,945,156

HOOD CATCH Filed April 14, 1931 INVENTOR. Fax Mum: E1. M0 DRE.

A TTORNEY Patented Jan. 39, 1934 PATENT @FFEQE HOOD CATCH Raymond G.Moore, Bridgeport, Conn, assignor to The Bassick Company, Bridgeport,001111., a corporation of Connecticut Application April 14, 1931. SerialNo. 529,949

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in hood catches,particularly for automobiles, and has for an object to provide a catchwhich will effectually hold the hood downwardly and inwardly, and may beoperated to engaged or disengaged relation with facility. A furtherobject is to provide cam means cooperating between the hood-carriedhandle and the frame, and to this end it is particularly proposed in thepresent embodiment to provide a rotary handle and a spring pressed catchlever secured upon the hood, and cam means mounted upon the automobileframe within the hood adapted through engagement of said lever therewithto cause a downward and inward pressure to be exerted on the hood.

With the above and other objects in view an embodiment of the inventionis shown in the accompanying drawing, and this embodiment will behereinafter more fully described with reference thereto and theinvention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of the hood and frame andshowing the catch in engaged relation.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the catch, the hood being shown invertical section.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, and showing the catch in disengagedrelation.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View, taken along the line 4=4 of Fig.1.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the catch lever.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the hood is adapted to close in the usualmanner against a suitable stop formed by the frame 11. An escutcheonplate 12 is provided with a counter-sunk opening 13 in which a tubularcylindrical bearing 14 is secured, an annular boss 15 being formed onthe tube to abut the edge of the opening 13 at the inner side, and aflange 16 being bent outwardly at the outer side to thereby secure thebearing so that the same projects inwardly from the escutcheon plate.The bearing is engaged in an aperture 17 in the hood, so that itprojects inwardly therefrom and is secured by an apertured backing plate18 riveted, as at 19, through the hood to the escutcheon plate.

The shank 20 of the handle 21 is rotatably engaged in the bearing 14,and at its inner end is provided with a non-circular extension 22 uponwhich a casing 23 is secured as by riveting, as at 24. A bolt lever orfinger 25 is slidably mounted in said casing, being guided and retainedby flanges 26 bent from the sides of the casing. A stop flange 2'7 isbent outwardly from the lower end of the bolt lever into a slot 28 inthe rear of the slot to limit its retracting movement and to abut a pairof lugs 29 formed upon the flanges 26 and projecting into the slot tolimit its projecting movement. Springs 3030 are disposed between theinner end of the bolt lever and the base of the casing, being positionedat their ends 5 upon pairs of lugs 31 and 32 respectively formed on thelever and casing, the latter being preferably struck up from the base.These springs exert pressure on the bolt lever to project it.

The bolt lever is adapted to be moved through 7 turning of the handlefrom the horizontal inoperative position shown in Fig. 3 to the verticaloperative position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A detent pin 33 is providedin the shank 20 and moves in a slot 34 in the bearing 14, having detentre cesses 35 at each end in which the pin is engaged through the actionof a spring 36 disposed about the bearing 14 and engaging the casing 23,the latter being normally slightly spaced from the end of the bearing topermit longitudinal movement so of the shank. The handle 21 and the boltlever are thus limited in movement by the slot and are yieldablyretained at the limit of movement in either direction.

To the frame 11 there is secured a bracket 37 having an arm 38 bentoutwardly from its lower end, this arm being inclined inwardly andupwardly with respect to the hood and having a downwardly bent flange 39formed at its outer and lower edges.

In the closed position of the hood the bolt lever is disposed beneaththe arm 38 in such relation that upon swinging upwardly from theinoperative position shown in Fig. 3 its end engages the arm and ispressed inwardly against the action of the spring to a point where thebolt lever reaches its vertical detented position. The end portion ofthe bolt lever is slightly curved as indicated in Fig. 2, so that itengages flatly against the inclined surface of the arm. In this positionthe pressure of the bolt lever against the inclined surface of the armexerts a downward pressure on the hood, and through the inclination ofthe arm exerts an inward pull on the hood, thus effectually retaining itin closed position. The flanges 39, it will be understood, preventaccidental disengagement of the finger in the operative position, as forinstance, if the hood is forcibly pulled out or shifted lengthwisewithout turning the handle 21 to disengaging position.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodimentof the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be madetherein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patentis:

1. In a hood catch for engaging a iixed keeper, a rotary handle disposedexteriorly of the hood, a catch member disposed interiorly of the hoodand adapted to be rotated by said handle into and out of engagement withsaid keeper, said latch member having reciprocatory movement radially ofits axis of rotation, and spring means adapted to resist said movementin one direction.

2. In a hood catch for engaging a fixed keeper, a handle disposedexterior-1y of the hood, a catch member adapted to be actuated bymovement of said handle into and out of engagement with said keeper,said catch member having reciprocatory movement, and spring meansadapted to resist said movement in one direction.

3. In a hood catch for engaging a fixed keeper, a rotary handle disposedexteriorly of the hood, a resilient catch member disposed interiorly ofthe hood carried by and having movement relative to said handle andadapted to be rotated by said handle into and out of engagement withsaid keeper, and detent means adapted to limit the movement-of saidcatch member.

4. In a hood catch for engaging a fixed keeper, a handle disposedexteriorly of the hood, a resilient catch member carried by and havingmovement relatively to said handle extending radially to the axis ofrotation of said handle and adapted to be actuated by movement of saidhandle into and out of engagement with said keeper to draw the hooddownwardly.

RAYMOND G. MOORE.

